Incident Summary:

12/11/2020: Assailants attacked several locations in Nzenga, Beni district, North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo. At least 21 civilians were killed, and dozens were injured as a result of the attack. Additionally, at least 24 people, including a journalist, were abducted. The Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) later found the remains of six hostages. The fate of the remaining hostages is unknown. No group claimed responsibility for the incident; however, sources attributed the attack to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF).

GTD ID:
202012110016

When:
2020-12-11

Country:
Democratic Republic of the Congo

Region:
Sub-Saharan Africa

Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:

North Kivu

City:
Nzenga

Attack Information
Type of Attack (more) Hostage Taking (Kidnapping)
Type of Attack (more) Facility/Infrastructure Attack
Successful Attack? (more) Yes
Target Information (more)
Target Type: Journalists & Media
Name of Entity Ruwenzori Voice Radio
Specific Description Journalist: Pius Manzikala
Nationality of Target Democratic Republic of the Congo
Target Type: Private Citizens & Property
Name of Entity Not Applicable
Specific Description Civilians
Nationality of Target Democratic Republic of the Congo
Additional Information
Hostages Yes
Number of Hostages 24
US Hostages 0
Outcome Combination
Ransom No
Property Damage Unknown
Extent of Property Damage Unknown
Value of Property Damage Unknown
Weapon Information
Type Sub-type
Unknown
Additional Information
Suicide Attack?No
Part of Multiple Incident?No
Criterion 1 (more) Yes
Criterion 2 (more) Yes
Criterion 3 (more) Yes
Doubt Terrorism Proper (more) No
Additional Information Casualty numbers conflict across sources. Following GTD protocol, the majority reliable estimates are reported here.
Perpetrator Group Information
Group Name Claimed Responsibility
Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) No
Perpetrator Statistics
Number of Perpetrators Unknown
Number of Captured Perpetrators 0
Casualty Information
Total Number of Casualties 27 Fatalities
Total Number of Fatalities 27
Number of U.S. Fatalities 0
Number of Perpetrator Fatalities 0
Total Number of Injured Unknown
Number of U.S. Injured 0
Number of Perpetrators Injured 0
Sources
"Six killed, 24 abducted in ADF - DR Congo attack," Uganda Daily Monitor, December 12, 2020.
"RDCongo.- Killed at least twelve civilians in an attack carried out by suspected ADF members in east DRC," CE Noticias Financieras English, December 14, 2020.
"Terrorism Digest: 12-13 Dec 20," BBC Monitoring, December 13, 2020.